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| Sacked S Africa minister hits out | Sacked S Africa minister hits out |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| South Africa's former deputy health minister has said she was sacked for doing her job. | South Africa's former deputy health minister has said she was sacked for doing her job. |
| Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge said she had been fired for going on an unauthorised trip to a Spanish Aids conference and for criticising hospital conditions. | Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge said she had been fired for going on an unauthorised trip to a Spanish Aids conference and for criticising hospital conditions. |
| She said it was her duty to respond quickly to reports that babies were dying in a maternity hospital. | She said it was her duty to respond quickly to reports that babies were dying in a maternity hospital. |
| Her sacking has been condemned by Aids activists and the opposition as a setback in the fight against HIV. | Her sacking has been condemned by Aids activists and the opposition as a setback in the fight against HIV. |
| Some 5.5m South Africans are HIV-postive - more than in any other country. | Some 5.5m South Africans are HIV-postive - more than in any other country. |
| In her first comments since her sacking, Ms Madlala-Routledge also said it was a known fact that there had been differences of opinion between her and Health Minister Manto Tshabala-Msimang. | In her first comments since her sacking, Ms Madlala-Routledge also said it was a known fact that there had been differences of opinion between her and Health Minister Manto Tshabala-Msimang. |
| BBC Southern Africa correspondent Peter Biles says Dr Tshabala-Msimang is a close ally of the president. | BBC Southern Africa correspondent Peter Biles says Dr Tshabala-Msimang is a close ally of the president. |
| The minister is known as Dr Beetroot after telling people with HIV to eat beetroot and garlic, while expressing doubts about the efficacy of anti-retroviral drugs. | The minister is known as Dr Beetroot after telling people with HIV to eat beetroot and garlic, while expressing doubts about the efficacy of anti-retroviral drugs. |
| Ms Madlala-Routledge denied local media reports that she had defied President Thabo Mbeki by going to Madrid with her son and a consultant, at a cost of 160,000 rand ($22,000). | |
| "I acted in good faith in the belief that our president had approved the trip." | "I acted in good faith in the belief that our president had approved the trip." |
| She said that in spite of her dismissal, she hoped to remain part of the campaign against HIV/Aids. | She said that in spite of her dismissal, she hoped to remain part of the campaign against HIV/Aids. |